Thousands flee as Ecuador volcano erupts - Mt. Tungurahua

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/16/06 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

QUITO, Ecuador - Thousands of Ecuadorean villagers have fled their homes on the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano since it began erupting lava and toxic gases, authorities said Saturday.

No injuries have been reported, but some 3,700 people have abandoned their homes in half a dozen hamlets since Friday, the Civil Defense said.

"There have been no victims, but all the vegetation has died and we have lost cattle," said Juan Salazar, mayor of Penipe County, which includes two villages where 300 families have been forced to evacuate.

In May, the volcano, located 85 miles south of the capital of Quito, began emitting its loudest and most frequent explosions since it rumbled back to life nearly seven years ago after being inactive for eight decades.

On Friday, the Geophysics Institute reported that the 16,550-foot-high volcano had changed its behavior drastically by expelling at least four lava flows — the first since activity resumed.

Hugo Yepes, director of the institute, said the wind was carrying ash from the explosions up to 75 miles west of the volcano.

On Saturday, the institute said the explosions had lessened in frequency to every half an hour, from every five minutes on Friday.

Banos, a city of 20,000 people at the foot of the volcano, appeared to be out of danger because it is on the eastern side.

[NormsRevenge]

Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano spews molten rock and large clouds of gas and ash close to Banos, 178 km (110 miles) south of Quito, July 16, 2006. Tungurahua has been increasingly active since May, when it blew out big clouds of hot gas and prompted officials to renew a limited state of emergency in nearby towns. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja

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A combination photo shows Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano erupting near Banos, about 80 miles (130 miles) south of Quito, July 15, 2006. The volcano, whose name means 'throat of fire' in the indigenous Quichua language, spewed ash, gas and molten rock for a second day on Saturday, driving hundreds of evacuated villagers into nearby schools and churches in search of refuge. Photos taken July 15, 2006. REUTERS/Gary Granja (ECUADOR)

[NormsRevenge]

The Tungurahua volcano, 85 miles south of Quito, Ecuador erupts at about 5:50 a.m. Sunday, July 16, 2006. Thousands of villagers have fled their homes on the slopes of the volcano since it began erupting lava and toxic gases, authorities said Saturday. No injuries have been reported, but some 3,700 people have abandoned their homes in half a dozen hamlets since Friday, the Civil Defense said. In May, the volcano, began emitting its loudest and most frequent explosions since it rumbled back to life nearly seven years ago after being inactive for eight decades. (AP Photo/Cecilia Puebla)

[Old Professer]

As Glaobal Warming heats up, we can expect more and more such eruptions.

[GSlob]

Memo to Karl: the machine has been calibrated. Now, Lebanon mountains sit on a rift, and need to be activated.

[null and void]

ping

[jamaly]

Bump for later.

[capt. norm]

As Glaobal Warming heats up, we can expect more and more such eruptions.

I hope you meant that as sarcasm. The atmosphere has a near zero influence on volcanic activity.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

They say when Tungurahua blows, she blows an evil wind.

[NormsRevenge]

Active Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics, "Hot Spots" and the "Ring of Fire"

[Trajan88]

MAGMA!

[pax_et_bonum]

Memo to Karl: the machine has been calibrated. Now, Lebanon mountains sit on a rift, and need to be activated.

lol!

[Young Werther]

Magma Animous!

Once again global warming can be placed at the feat of the real polluters. Of course, had we elected Al Blowhard he would have come up with a plan to control the ring of fire by taxation and wealth transfers from the rich who ferment volcanic outbursts instead of ethanol!

PUN ALERT!

[Hilltop]

Gad! When the volcanic ash clouds the sun, the temperature will fall and we'll be looking at another ice age due to global cooling.

Paging Al Bore, answer the white courtesy phone and give the unwashed masses your opinion.

[COEXERJ145]

MAGMA!

One of the worst movies ever made.

Oops, not that Magma. LOL! :-)

[Hilltop]

As a lover of a nice lager, ferment should be replaced by foment in your post.

;)

[onedoug]

Great post. Thanks!

With prayers for all those affected, thank God for such events actually on the whole,
without which we wouldn't be here to read about them.

[UCANSEE2]

Overhead view from sat.


http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/guag-img.html

[paulat]

IIRC one of the biggest earthquakes happened around 1810 or so in Illinois/Missouri...don't see any plates there....

[Redcloak]

I'm just glad that it wasn't Mt. Durkadurka.

[msnimje]

Glaobal Warming

Gloabal? Sounds serious.